Strand handling tool



P 1952 J. T. KANE STRAND HANDLING TOOL.

Filed Aug. 26, 1948 .E V m M NA m WK w Mr .A J. V 8

Patented Apr. 1, 1952 STRAND HANDLING TOOL John '1. Kane, St. Paul,Minn., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application August 26, 1948, Serial No.46,283

This invention relates to strand handling tools and more particularly toa tool for feeding or threading a plurality of loose cords or wires ofunequal lengths through an aperture.

An object Of this invention is the provision of a simple and practicaltool for efiiciently feeding or threading a plurality of cords or wiresthrough an aperture.

In accordance with the above object, the present invention, in oneembodiment thereof, as applied to the handling and threading of a cableend comprising a group of loose cords or wires of unequal lengthssimultaneously through an aperture in a panel, comprises a contractiletubelike one-piece member or shell of spring steel or resilient plastichaving fiat normally spacedapart wall portions disposed at a slightangle, one to the other, with their adjacent spaced longitudinal edgesrounded, the spaced wall portions being integrally united to oppositesides of a substantially semi-circular body. The adjacent rounded edgesof the wall portions at each end are similarly cut away and slantedoutwardly to meet the junctures of the wall portions with the ends ofthe semi-circular body. Thus, the loose ends of a cable having adiameter suitable for handling by the the tool may be longitudinallyaligned with the space between the rounded edges of the wall portionsand pressed into the hollow of the semicircular body by a relativelongitudinal sliding movement between the tool and cable and the looseends of the cable will be entered and confined within the semi-circularbody. The tool may then be compressed or contracted, inserted andadvanced through the aperture in the panel, thus simultaneouslythreading the group of loose wires of unequal lengths through theaperture, whereupon the tool is withdrawn from the loose wire ends.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustratingfragmentarily an apertured panel having the end of a cable threadedthrough one of its apertures and illustrating the loose ends of anothercable being threaded through a second aperture by a tool embodying thefeatures of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the tool shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a view on an enlarged scale showing the tool contracted andsupporting a plurality 2 Claims. (01. -376) of loose end lengths of acable after the tool has been entered into an aperture of a panel.

As shown in the drawing, referring particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, thenumeral It) represents, in general, a contractile tool embodying thefeatures of the invention, which tool is formed from a single blank ofannealed spring steel of a suitable thickness, hardened to a springtemper after forming. The formed tool comprises a main body portion I lof substantially semi-circular configuration having a diameter suitablefor the particular diameter of the cable or cables being han-' died andthe aperture into which the tool is to be inserted. At opposite sides,the body portion ll terminates in flat Wall portions 12 and I3 havingtheir longitudinal free edges rounded, as indicated at I6. A space I! isprovided between the rounded edges ll; of the flat wall portions ['2 and13 of the tool when the tool is not under stress for the purpose ofentering the loose end lengths of a cable within the hollow of the tool.The width of the space I! and the length of the tool will vary with thediameter of the cable or cables to be handled and the length of theloose end lengths thereof. After the cable end lengths are within thetool, the space I! between the flat wall portions l2 and I3 permits thetool to be contracted to confine the cable end lengths therein while thetool is in use. In the present embodiment of the tool, the wall portionsl2 and [3 are slightly inclined one to the other to more readily permitthe contraction of the tool. At their ends, the rounded Wall edges l6are cut away and slanted outwardly at l8 to meet the junctures of theWall portions l2 and I3 with the ends of the semi-circular body ll thus'providing guiding surfaces for directing the loose ends of the wiresinto the space IT. This similar guiding arrangement at each end of thetool facilitates its use since either end may be used to guide the wireends into the space ll.

In the drawing, the tool l0 has been shown as applied to the handling ofa bound cable end 2!] having a group, indicated in general at 2|, ofloose unequal end lengths of cords or wires which are to be fed orthreaded through an aperture .22 of a panel 23, the loose end lengths ofthe wires being finally connected to their respective terminals (notshown) which may be mounted on the panel 23 or on apparatus (not shown)located adjacent the inner surface of the panel. The tool Ill for theabove-mentioned application is used in the following manner: With onehand the operator holds the tool In with the spaced flat wall portions12 and I3 uppermost, the tool not being contracted to close the spacel1. In his other hand the operator grasps the end of the cable 20, withhis index finger pressing slightly on the group 2| of wires adjacenttheir inner portions, where they join the bound cable, andlongitudinally aligns the loose wires with the space I! between the wallportions I2 and I3 with the free ends .of -the wires extending beyondthe outwardly slanted edge portions l8 of the wall portions l2 and I3.While the tool it] and the cable 20 with the loose wire end lengths 2|are thus held, they. are relatively moved in a longitudinal directionand pressed together, thus causing the entire group of loose wires to beentered into the hollow of the semi-circular body portion ll of thetool. Thereafter, the contractile tool 10 is compressed and contractedsufiiciently to cause the rounded edges l6 of the flat Wall portions 12and i3 to overlap and thus close the space H therebetween and confinethe loose wire end lengths therein. In its normal expanded condition themajor transverse dimension of the tool is appreciably greater than thediameter of the aperture 22 in the panel 23; but, upon contraction, asabove described, its transverse dimension is such that it may be readilyinserted into the aperture 22. The tool 10, while thus contracted withthe loose wire end lengths 2| confined therein, is inserted in anaperture '22 of the panel 23 until the shortest length of wire of thegroup 2| has been completely passed through the aperture; and, uponrelease, the tool will expand slightly to the condition shown in Fig. 4.Thereafter, the tool is drawn longitudinally away from the panel .23 inthe same direction used in inserting it in the aperture 22 thereof,while holding the cable 28. The loose wire end lengths 2| of the cablehave now been simultaneously passed through a panel aperture 22 andappear as shown in the upper portion of Fig. 1.

It will also be apparent that the loose ends of, for example, twocables, may be simultaneously entered and confined in the tool andthreaded into a panel aperture 22 providing the tool is suitablydimensioned relative to the diameter of the cables and the aperture. Thetool is also applicable to the insertion of the loose ends of a secondcable in an aperture where the loose ends of a first cable have alreadybeen threaded through the same aperture.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are simplyillustrative of the application of the principles of the invention.Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled inthe art which will embody the principles of the invention and fallwithin the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A tool for threading a cable end composed of loose end lengths ofwires through an aperture in a panel comprising a one-piece spring steelhollow shell having throughout its length normally spaced-apartlongitudinal flat wall portions having their free edges rounded andextending from opposite sides of a body portion, the ends of said wallportions being cut away and slanted inwardly from their junctures withsaid body portion, the body portion being adapted -to receive thereinloose end lengths of wires of a cable guided by said slanted endportions of saidwall portions when drawn through the normal spacebetween said wall portions, said wall portions adapted to overlapthroughout their length upon a transverse contraction of said bodyportion to confine the loose end lengths of wires received therein andto reduce the major dimension of the tool to permit the threadingthereof with the wires through an aperture in a panel.

2. A tool for temporarily confining and feeding a bundle of ilaredstrands through an aperture comprising a semi-tubular elongated memberhaving its sides terminating in spaced apart fiat portions disposed atan angle to each other to provide an opening for receiving and confiningthe flared strands within the hollow of the memher, said flat sideportions being tapered inwardly at their ends to expedite the passing ofthe member through the aperture, and said member being resilient tocontract when a compressing force is applied to completely close theopening to prevent escape of the confined strands in threading themthrough the aperture and the member springing open to normal positionwhen the compressing force is released.

JOHN T. KANE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 342,773 Bailey June 1, 1896798,664 Daniels Sept. 5, 1905 1,108,748 Hampton Aug. 25, 1914 2,137,814Skora Nov. 22, 1938 2,152,349 Flood Mar. 28, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 17,320 Great Britain of 1896

